Press Release

Lars Heikensten to Succeed Michael Sohlman as Executive Director of the Nobel Foundation

December 8, 2010

The Trustees of the Nobel Foundation have elected Lars Heikensten, former Governor of Sveriges Riksbank and currently a member of the European Court of Auditors, to succeed Michael Sohlman on the Board of Directors of the Nobel Foundation when Mr Sohlman retires on May 1, 2011. The Board of Directors of the Nobel Foundation has, in turn, decided to elect Lars Heikensten from among its own members as the new Executive Director from the same date.

"Lars Heikensten has a background deeply rooted in research, public administration and the banking world, as well as an extensive international contact network. This makes him exceptionally well-suited to lead the Nobel Foundation, and we are very pleased to have recruited him," says Marcus Storch, Chairman of the Board of the Nobel Foundation.

Lars Heikensten has been a member of the European Court of Auditors in Luxembourg since 2006. He earned his Doctorate in Economics at the Stockholm School of Economics. In Sweden his positions have included Director-General and Head of the Economic Affairs Department at the Ministry of Finance, Chief Economist at the National Debt Office and at Handelsbanken, as well as Deputy Governor and Governor of Sveriges Riksbank (Sweden’s central bank). In addition, Heikensten has represented Sweden in many international organizations, for example the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the European Union’s Economic and Financial Committee, the General Council of the European Central Bank (ECB) and the Board of the Bank of International Settlements (BIS). He has also served on the boards of various companies, government authorities, think tanks and university departments.

Michael Sohlman assumed his position as Executive Director of the Nobel Foundation in 1992 and is retiring next year when he turns 67 years old.

Contact information:

Marcus Storch: +46 8 679 97 00
Lars Heikensten: +352 4398 45958

For general information about the Nobel Foundation: Annika Pontikis, Public Relations Manager, the Nobel Foundation, e-mail: annika.pontikis@nobel.se, phone: +46 8 663 14 70, fax: +46 8 660 38 47The Nobel Foundation is a private institution established in 1900 based on the will of Alfred Nobel. The Foundation manages the assets made available through the will for the awarding of the Nobel Prize in Physics, Chemistry, Physiology or Medicine, Literature and Peace.